Guides

Practical references on BOQ preparation, measurement, rates and residential construction estimating — written for architects, contractors and site engineers. 17 guides in 4 topics.

Cost and estimating basics (5) Making a BOQ (6) Measuring quantities (3) Steel and bar bending schedules (3)

Cost and estimating basics

5 guides

What a house costs, the kinds of estimate, material quantities, DSR and rate analysis.

How to prepare a rate analysis for a BOQ item Build a rate from first principles — material, labour, plant, overhead and profit — with worked examples for RCC, brickwork and plaster. Read guide · updated 16 Aug 2026 How to estimate house construction cost in India What a house costs to build per square foot, what the figure includes and excludes, and how to move to a measured estimate. Read guide · updated 16 Aug 2026 How much cement, steel, sand and bricks does a house need? How much cement, steel, sand, aggregate and bricks does a house need? Per-sq-ft thumb rules with a 1,200 sq ft worked example, and when to switch to a BOQ. Read guide · updated 5 Oct 2026 Types of estimates in construction: plinth area, cube rate and detailed Plinth area, cube rate, approximate quantity and detailed estimates explained with formulas, a worked house example and when to use each. Read guide · updated 5 Oct 2026 CPWD DSR 2023 explained: how to use it for a house estimate What CPWD DSR 2023 is, what is inside a DSR rate, how it differs from state PWD rates and market rates, and the mistakes that get estimates returned. Read guide · updated 5 Oct 2026

Making a BOQ

6 guides

Formats, units, the BOQ from drawings, and the checks before a tender.

How to make a BOQ from drawings (step-by-step) Learn how to prepare a Bill of Quantities from architectural drawings — earthwork to finishes, step by step. Price on DSR 2023 or local market rates. Read guide · updated 23 Jul 2026 BOQ format for house construction (with example) The standard BOQ format for residential construction, with a full worked example for a 1,200 sqft house priced on both DSR 2023 and local market rates. Read guide · updated 23 Jul 2026 BOQ vs BOM vs abstract of cost BOQ, BOM, abstract of cost and detailed estimate are four different documents. What each contains, who produces it, and when you need which. Read guide · updated 16 Aug 2026 Units of measurement in an Indian BOQ Which unit each BOQ item is measured in, why, and where the common conversions and unit errors occur. Reference table for standard items. Read guide · updated 16 Aug 2026 BOQ checklist before you submit a tender The checks worth running on a BOQ before it goes out — measurement, rates, format and terms. The errors that survive review. Read guide · updated 16 Aug 2026 Can AI make a BOQ from drawings? What it does, what it misses, and how to check it AI can pull quantities from house drawings in minutes. What it does well, where it needs a human, and a 7-point checklist to verify any AI-generated BOQ. Read guide · updated 5 Oct 2026

Measuring quantities

3 guides

Deductions, wall measurement methods and footing quantities, worked through.

Deductions in brickwork and plaster measurement IS 1200 deduction rules for brickwork and plaster: which openings to deduct, at what size and on which face, with a worked example. Read guide · updated 16 Aug 2026 Centre line method vs long wall–short wall method Centre line method vs long wall short wall method for wall quantities, worked side by side on one plan. When each applies and why they differ. Read guide · updated 16 Aug 2026 Isolated footing quantity calculation: excavation, PCC, RCC and steel (worked example) Step-by-step quantity calculation for isolated footings: excavation, PCC, RCC, formwork, steel and backfilling, with a 12-footing worked example. Read guide · updated 5 Oct 2026

Steel and bar bending schedules

3 guides

Reading structural schedules, steel quantity and the bar bending schedule format.

How to calculate steel quantity from drawings Calculate reinforcement steel from structural drawings — read the schedule, build the cutting list, apply the unit weight formula. Read guide · updated 16 Aug 2026 Bar bending schedule format explained What every column in a bar bending schedule means, how to fill it, and a complete worked example for a beam, column and slab. Free Excel format included. Read guide · updated 16 Aug 2026 How to read a structural drawing schedule Decode column, beam, footing and slab schedules on a structural drawing — what every notation means and what to extract for an estimate. Read guide · updated 16 Aug 2026

Prefer to learn by doing? The free bar bending schedule course walks through a beam schedule step by step, and the Excel templates put these methods into ready-to-fill sheets.